Labels, part 2

Arminian, Barthian, biblicist, Calvinist, charismatic, conservative, contemporary, covenantal, dispensationalist, emergent, emerging, evangelical, fundamentalist, irenic, liberal, literalist, missional, moderate, neo-orthodox, post-evangelical, post-modern, progressive, reformed, traditionalist…

(Please be sure to read Labels, part 1 before continuing.)

If I were a theology professor, we would tackle the issue of theological labels in a couple of different classes this semester. Pastors, theologians, and students use theological labels in their sermons, lectures, and late-night conversations over their Playstations. I have no idea how many actually exist, but I’m guessing there could be over 250 different theological labels. Many of the same labels have made their way into our everyday language. Due to the widespread use of labels, both in academic settings and in everyday conversations, we should carefully consider their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:
Labels can assist in communication. If theologians around the world all used the same labels in the same way (and they don’t), the consistency in communication would improve dramatically. It would be nice if a person labeled as “emerging” in Conway, AR could go anywhere else in the world and another pastor would have a pretty good idea of the person’s theology, just knowing the label alone. The problem is that pastors and theologians have no equivalent of the DSM-IV. There is no manual that is used universally to provide consistent labels. For some labels, there may be a general consensus of definitions. For others, individuals are left on their own to define them as they’d like.

Labels sometimes make people feel better. Theological dilemmas and journeys can be scary – especially if a person feels lost about what is happening to them. Some people experience great relief just knowing that their theological position has a name. Labels can make people feel safe. Naming a theological position indicates we have some knowledge of and control over it. The problem is that unlike psychological disorders, theological perspectives are not conditions from which we need healing. And it is OK to feel lost and a little scared along the way – we certainly don’t need the false security that labels can provide.

Disadvantages:
Labels are limiting. While our labels may produce more efficient communication, they sometimes do so at the expense of accurate communication. People sometimes get “boxed in” by a label, and theologians and ministers can miss important information about another person because it doesn’t fit the label and they aren’t looking for it.

Labels are persistent. Once a person receives a theological label, it tends to stick. Labels are etched into the minds of others and these associations remain in their memories for years if not a lifetime. Even someone whose previous beliefs have all but disappeared will likely retain the label for quite a long time. At best, labels are verbalized in the past tense (e.g. “that dude was a hard-core fundamentalist”). But the label is there nonetheless – it persists.

Labels create stereotypes and stigmas. Once others discover that a person has a particular theological label, they will think of and treat that person differently. I could illustrate this point in class by asking students what would happen if I were to disclose that I was an Emergent Calvinist. Nothing in my personality or behavior would change during those few minutes in class (nor in the following days, weeks, or months), but their perception of and interactions with me would immediately change nonetheless.

Labels become identifiers. People who receive or assign themselves theological labels often begin to identify themselves in terms of those labels. In my lifetime spent in churches and Christian educational institutions, I have constantly met people who identified themselves as “fundamentalist,” “conservative,” “moderate,” or even “postmodern” (*gasp*). And I should have insisted to them, for example, “No, you are a child of God who has some conservative beliefs.” People think of themselves differently once they are so labeled and too much of their identity can get wrapped up in their label.

I’m not suggesting we do away with theological labels. I’m suggesting we use them cautiously and flexibly – and with much grace and humility.